The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-21

stAll right was the reply. "a Yankee Office,
! is good prize, particularly when the officer is
the of of our cursed Floridan federals
And they'll pay well for him. for Texar is the
pa VIVA ,esv 10. catch them .on,.n, e. -,
may lay up in some of the creeks. But when
day comes we'll search every Granny SO well
that not water rat will escape us"
Don't forget You are to take them alive"
''All right! Rememb Der. if get them on
the land, We have to hail you TO take them over
| to Jacksonville"
.Unless we have to give chase we shall re-
| main here"
| And we shall stop here across the bank,
| GOOD luck to you! You had better have
| spent the night in drinks at Jacksonville
Yes if the rascals outwit us! But never
| fear, tomorrow shall take them to Texar
bound hand and foot.
| The boat then moved off some twenty feet
nouueed that sne had dronnsa anehor gu. T an
men above spoke no moro, but the sound of
| their feet was heard as they marched to and fro
on the fallen leaveo.
By the river as by the land flight was no
longer possible.
| So thought Gilbert and Mars Neither of
| them mad made single movement uttered a
| word. There was nothing to betray the pres
| of the gig under the dark arbor of foliage
| an arbor which was a prison. To leave it was
| impossible. Surprising they were not discovered
during the night, how could they escape when
day appeareds
The lieutenants capture not only meant dan
ger to his own life, but another attack upon his
father by Texar, and proof Of James Burbank .
correspondence with the federals. When Gill
bert was in Texars power, the necessary proof
would be to hand. And then what would be-
come OF Mrs. Burbank What would become of
by and Zermah, when neither father, brother
nor husband could continue the search2
In moment all these thoughts presented
themselves and Gilbert recognized the inevitable
consequences.
If they were taken only one chance was left
The federals might seize Jacksonville before
Texar could injure them. The prisoners might
be given enough time for this TO take place be-
tween the sentence they could not escape and
their execution That their only hope.
But how could they hurry on the arrival of
Stevens How could he clear the bar il the
water was still wanting? How could Stevens
find his way through the windiugs of the chan
mel if mis- pilot, Mars, was in the hands of the
confederatesT
Evidently, then Gilbert must risk even the
impossible to get on board before daylight; and
he must leave this place at once. But could he
do sol Could not Mars by driving the gig sud
denly the eddy get clear away While
the men in the boat were losing time by weigh
ing the grapnel or letting out chain, could they
not get by out of reach
That impossible! The lieutenant knew it
only too well. The paddle match for
four oars. The gig would inevitably be caught
To make such an attempt was TO court certain
capture
What was then to be done2 Was he to waltz
Day would soon appear It already half
past o'clock. and few streaks of the dawn
had risen above the eastern horizon.
1t was necessary to do something Gilbert,
bending towards Mars spoke to him in a whis-
per-
1--WE can not wait much longer We are both
armed with revolver and cutlass. In the
boat there only four This is only two
to and we shall have the advantage of the
surprise. You send the gig up the boat
in stroke or two; she is anchored and can not
stop our boarding. We will fall on the men and
settle them before they have time to recognize
us, and make dash for 1t. Before the
fellows the bank have given the alarm
may have got through the barrier and reached
the ships. Do you understandl
Mars replied by drawing his cutlass and slip
ping it into his belt near his revolver. Then he
Stacked off the painter of the gig from the
grove root, and his paddle ready for vigorous
stroke.
But as he stopped to begin Gilbert stopped him
with a gesture.
Something had come unexpectedly to alter his
plans.
With the first streaks Of the day a thick mist
began to rise on the water Like humid pile
of cottonwood it rolled along the river waves,
cngng to them as it came. Formed over the
sea. such vapors enter the estuary, ard, driven
before gentle breeze. ascend the course OF the
St. Johns. In less than quarter of an hour
Jacksonville. the left bank. and the trees
the right bank had disappeared, wrapped In the
yelowish mist whose characteristic odor filled
the valley.
Did not this offer means of safety Instead
OF engaging unequal struggle in which
tn ey might both fall, why should they not try to
get by in the fog2
Gilbert saw this. and that is why he stopped
Mars from beginning his stroke. Now, instead
of dashing out, he was to slip along cautiously
and silently, and avoid the boat, which slowly
vanished as the mist closed around 1t.
Then the voices were again heard replying to
the bank from the river.
Look out in the fog"
Yes We are getting in the anchor, and
coming closer to shore"
'.An right. But don't break your communi-
cation with the line. II they near you,
keep them back till the fog lifts"
"Yes never fear; you that the beggars
don't get past you ashore"
Evidently the orders were obeyed. There
- no. H. E..
bank to the other that obvious. But Gill
bert did not hesitate. The gig. padded noise
lesslv by Mars, elided out from her shelter
under the trees. and crossed the eddy in which
the boat had been anchored.
The fog seemed to thicken, although it |
penetrated by dim light such is given by
two away, If the gig passed clear of the boat
there excellent chance of her escaping |
unobserved. And it was not difficult to avoid
the boat, for the men in weighing the anchor |
made enough noise with the chain to leave
doubt as to their exact position.
The pig slipped by unnoticed and Mars could |
ply his paddle little more vigorously.
The difficulty to keep proper course /
without running out into midstream. If posi- |
BILE he would have remained at little distance |
from the right bank; but the only guide was the
tapping of the water the shore. Theday was
breaking and the light flooded the mass of
vapour although tho fog was very thick.
For half an hour the gig, so to speak, wan
1ered about at a venture. Sometimes a vague
outline unexpectedly appeared. which might be
much magnifed by refraction-an instance of
phenomenon commonly observed in sea fogs.
In fact every objec appeared with quite fan
tastic suddenness, and seemed to be of enor-
nous dimensions. Luckily what Gilbert took
for boat would be only buoy, or rock above
water, pole with its upper end vanishing in
The mist.
few pairs Of birds few by with measured
Zap of wing They could scarcely see them, but
hey heard their piercing cry. Some came flying
.he surface of the water, and turned to fight
when the gig approached them. They vanished,
put it was impossible say if they few to the
oank or dived into the water.
From their padding all the time with the
stream Gilbert knew that he must be nearing
he anchorage of the eunboats; but the ebb
lad slackened he could not say if he had passed
he line, and he was in constant expectation of
unnng aboard one of the boats.
All chance of serious danger was not over.
And it became evident that the danger was
greater than At short intervals Mars had
o stop and hold the paddle out of the water.